New Killer Loose

June 2, 1985|By Charlie Jean

A NEW AND PERPLEXING disorder striking children up to the age of 10 and fatal in about 70 percent of cases has been identified in Brazil. A task force including specialists from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta will try to determine their cause. Its symptoms resemble those of meningitis, but no suspicious bacteria or other clues have been identified. Ten children in the state of Sao Paulo contracted the disease during two months ending Dec. 14. It began with an acute high fever, vomiting and abdominal pain. Within two days, all the children died.